The demand for storage has been rapidly increasing. As the amount of data such as digital media stored by users grows, so does the need to store digital media reliably over extended periods of time. Traditional, backup solutions periodically copy data to, for example, backup tapes, compact discs (CDs), or other local storage media. However, such solutions are not optimal, as the backup media is stored in a single location and media used for backups are prone to failure.
Other solutions include storing data files on a local hard-drive of a personal computer (PC) and synchronizing the data remotely using hosted storage services. Having a remote backup ensures that data is stored in multiple locations and is protected from local disasters, such as fires or floods. However, such solutions require installation of special client software on each individual PC, which is prone to software incompatibilities, lack of central control, and high deployment cost.
Commercially available services referred to as cloud storage services provide mass storage through a web service interface available through the Internet. FIG. 1 illustrates a storage system 100 designed to provide cloud storage services. The system 100 includes a distributed array of geographically distributed data centers 110-1 to 110-M connected to a plurality of clients 120-1 to 120-N through a wide area network (WAN) 130.
A data center 110 typically consists of servers and mass storage facilitating cloud storage services to the clients 120. Such services enable applications including, for example, backup and restoration of data, data migration, data sharing, data collaboration, and so on. Cloud storage services are accessible from anywhere in the world. To this end, each client 120 implements a web services interface designed to at least synchronize data with the data centers 110. Applications enabled by the cloud storage services are not aware of the specifics of the services and the underlying data synchronization operations. The disadvantage of commercially available cloud storage services is that such services do not implement standard file sharing protocols (e.g., common internet file system (CIFS) or network file system (NFS)). Furthermore, accessing files stored in the cloud storage is typically slower than accessing files stored in local storage devices.
A network-attached storage (NAS) device is a self-contained appliance connected to a network with a primary purpose of supplying file-based data storage services to clients on the network. Specifically, a NAS device provides the functionality of data storage, file-based operations (e.g., read, write, delete, modify, etc.), and the management of these functionalities. However, commercially available NAS devices do not operate in conjunction with cloud storage services. Therefore, organizations and businesses utilizing NAS devices to store and manage their data cannot benefit from mass storage and applications of cloud storage services.
It would be therefore advantageous to provide a solution for integrating NAS devices with cloud storage services.